After dark, the Bridge was often packed with young people, apparently with nowhere to go. But a group of committed youth workers have turned things around. They’ve opened a drop-in club that offers young people a home from home. Jill Chadwick had a night out at The Space…

IT’S just after 7pm and the noise levels at The Space are rising nicely as youngsters drop in to make coffee, play music and catch up with their mates, relaxing on comfy sofas in the large first-floor lounge.

The atmosphere is casual and relaxed.

Space youth worker Lesley Mourant is on duty and is chatting with her co-worker Elise Brehaut, staff coordinator.

Every few minutes one of the young people interrupts them to share a joke or simply give them a thumbs up on entering The Space.

There is a buzz, the banter is light-hearted and as the evening progresses, more and more young people turn up and start playing on computers and watching TV.

‘Clive de la Haye, the area youth work manager for the north of the island, was really behind this initiative,’ said Lesley.

‘He realised that there was no real provision for teenagers. There was nowhere for them to go but to hang around the Bridge.’